Ho model



No. 749,579. 7 PATENTED JAN. 12, 1904;.

' M. POWER. I

CONVERTIBLE GAR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1903.

H0 MODEL. 1 3 SHEETS-SHEETI,

F I n PATENTED JAN. 12, l90 4.'

M. POWER.

CONVERTIBLE OAR. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTED JAN. 12, 1904:.

M. POWER. CONVERTIBLE CAR. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 17, 1903.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented January 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL POWER, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

CONVERTIBLE OAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,579, dated January12, 1904.

I Application filed August 17, 1903- Serial No. 169,771. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL Pownn, of the city of Toronto, in the countyof York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Convertible Cars, of which the following is agrooves between the running-board and the upper bounding-rail andsuitable turn-buttons pivotally secured to the said posts for holdingthe sections in place, a series of seats supported upon suitablestandards within the car and means for securing the seats to the saidstandards whereby the seats may be either arranged crosswise of the caras used in the summer cars or arranged longitudinally of the car end toend to each side of the car as arranged for winter use, a detachablestep or running-board supported on suitable hangers secured beneath thesill of the car, the said running-board being provided with openings 'orcut-away portions, a sliding plate designed to cover the said openingand a bearing-spring secured to the running-board against which the saidplate is designed to be held, the parts being arranged and constructedin detail as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Figure 1 represents a general perspective View of my car, partiallybroken away and" in section, the front portion of the car being arrangedfor summer use and the rear portion being arranged for winter use; Fig.2 represents a cross-section through the front portion of the car,showing the seats arranged crosswise thereof. Fig. 3 represents asectional plan view ofa portion of the car, showing a seat as arranged111F1g'. '2. Fig.4 represents a cross-section through the rear portionof Fig. 1. Fig. 51s a sectional plan view showing the seats arranged as111 Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the removable wall-section. Fig.7 is a detail of the removable legs supporting the seats as arranged forwinter use. Fig. 8 is a detail of the end plate for the seats. Fig. 9 isa detail of a portion of the step and the movable plate.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding partsin each figure.

A is the floor of the car, provided with the usual sills 0;.

B is the roof, and O is a longitudinal side timber thereof.

D represents the vertical supporting-posts of the roof, secured at theirlower ends to the sill a and at their upper end to the timber C, formingpart of the roof of the car.

O is a bounding-strip secured to the timber O and provided with a recess0.

The vertical posts D are provided with the guiding-grooves d, in whichthe cross-bars of a blind are designed to run in the usual manner. Theposts D are also provided'with front composed of a rectangular frame 0,in which theusual window and sash d are fitted, the lower portion of thesection being covered with suitable sheeting, as used in the wall of anordinary closed car. The inner edges of the frame are provided withsuitable strips of felt packing, as shown inFig. 6.

E E are turn-buttons centrally secured by the bolts 6 to the central ribd of the vertical'post D. These turn-buttons serve to hold thewall-sections of the car in place in the rabbets 0Z F representsmetallic standards secured at the side of the car to the floor and tothe yertical posts D. The metallic standards F are f represents lugsextending outwardly from the inner side of. the metallic standard,provided with slots G represents the seats, composed of the longitudinalbars g and longitudinal slats g.

g represents metallic end plates formed with the recess g and the ribs 9and end'lug The ends of the longitudinal bars g are suitably secured tothe lugs g and longitudinal slats g are designed to rest and be securedupon the ribs g 'of the end plate.

9 represents longitudinal truss-rods which connect the end plates gtogether, and thereby bind and brace the whole seat together.

g represents downwardly extending L- shaped hooks secured in proximityto the end of the seat. These hooks are designed to extend downwardlythrough the slots f of the lug f when the seats are arranged crosswiseof the car. The hooks as soon as they have been passed through the slotsmay be turned one-quarter turn, so as to lock the seat in position. Itwill be seen by this construction that the seats being supported uponthe lugs f at each end and being braced by the trussrods 9 it isunnecessary to use any legs or other supports, thereby leaving the floorof the car perfectly clear for the purpose of cleaning or for any otherpurpose desired.

Gr represents the usual backs of the seats, which are pivotallyconnected in the usual manner at their ends to the vertical posts D ofthe car. When it is desired to use the car for winter, these backs areremoved and stored away. The seat is detached from the lugs f and isarranged parallel with the side of the car and connected to thestandards F in the following manner:

Gr is the back of the seat used in the wintercar, which is placedagainst the wall ofthe car, the bottom thereof resting on the lugs f itis a draw-bolt connected to the back of the I back of the seat anddesigned to extend clownwardly through the slots f of the lugs f and besecured bythe nut k in a plate it, secured beneath the seat. By thisconnection it will be seen that the level of the seat is loweredslightly, so as to enable a cushion to be used upon the seat, as shownin Figs. 1 and 4.

I represents the supporting-legs of the seats of the winter-car,designed to be secured beneath the abutting ends of the seats to thefront thereof. The legs I are formed with a reduced upper portion 2',designed to extend into a casting 1', provided with slots i throughwhich the L-shaped hooks g are designedto extend. The lower end of theleg is designed to extend into a suitable socket 2' provided with abayonet-slot f, into which is designed to extend a, projection-pin c'",secured in the leg. "By this means it will be seen that the seat islocked in position to the floor and that incleaning the car it will notbe liable to become displaced.

Beneath the sill is secured a running-board a, upon which the bottom ofthe wall-sections F are designed to rest. The running-board is designedto extend upwardly beyond the surface of the wall of the car, so as toprovide a side rail for the car.

Beneath the running-board a, is secured a T-shaped angle-bar (f. To theangle-bar a is secured the L-shaped hanger (0 provided with abrace a.Upon the hanger a is supported the step or running-board (1?. To preventthe wheels of the car in a double-truck car as the car is passing rounda curve from coming in contactwith the step itself, I provide thefollowing device:

(0 represents cut-away portions formed in the step a and to each side ofthis portion I secure a leaf-spring (I.

J represents sliding plates held within the guides a", forming part ofthe step (5, and are provided with depending pins j, against which theleaf-spring a is designed to bear. It will be seen that as the carpasses round the curve the wheels will come in contact with theseplates, pressing them outwardly against the spring, and that when thecurve is passed the plateswill be carried back into position by the saidspring.

WV hen it is desired to change the car from the form used in summer tothat used in winter, it is merely necessary to detach the crossseats andarrange them longitudinally of the can, as described, then to insert thewall-sections between the vertical posts of the carframe and to turn thebuttons 6 so as to hold them in place, and to remove the detachable step(0 It will also be seen that when the car is being used for summerpurposes the running-board a will not only serve the purpose of a siderail, but also of a step.

It will be seen from this description that I have constructed a carwhich may be adapted both for summer and winter use and will be simple,cheap, and compact in construction, and the general appearance of thecar will not be altered from the general design of an ordinary summer orwinter car, and that the car when used for winter will be warm andcomfortable. It will also be noticed that the buttons E and E areprovided on the interior surface with the rubber pads E By this meansthe sections are kept perfectly tight in place, and thereby prevent anydanger of them becoming loose or creaking or the surface of' the carbecoming in any way marred by them.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a convertible car the combinationwith the main frame provided with a series of supporting-posts, a seriesof supporting-standards arranged parallel to the sides of the car at theinside of the posts, suitable seats and detachable means for connectingthe seats to the said standards either arranged crosswise of the car orlongitudinally parallel to the sides thereof as and for the purposespecified.

2. In a convertible car the combination with the main frame, of a seriesof supporting-posts, a series of supporting-standards arranged parallelto the side of the car having inwardlyextending lugs, a series of seatsand means for securing the said seats to the lugs as and for the purposespecified.

3. In a convertible car the combination with the main frame providedwith the vertical supporting-posts, of a series of standards arrangedparallel with the side of the car having inwardly-extending slottedlugs, a series of L- shaped hooks secured in proximity to the ends ofthe seats designed to extend downwardly through the said slots as andfor the purpose specified.

i. In a convertible car the combination with the supporting-standardsfor the seats, of a seat composed of a series of longitudinal bars, ametallic end plate located to each end of the seat to which the saidbars are secured and truss-rods connecting the said endplates togetheras and for the purpose specified.

5. In a convertible car the combination with the main frame providedwith the vertical supporting-posts, a series of standards arrangedparallel with the side of the car having inwardly-extending slottedlugs, suitable seatbacking designed to rest upon the said lugs, adepending bolt secured at its upper end to the said seat-backingdesigned to extend downwardly through the slotted lug, a seat arrangedparallelly with the side of the car through which the bolt is designedto extend and be secured and supporting means for supporting the frontof the seat as and for the purpose specified. p

6. In a convertible car the combination with the main frame providedwith a series of supporting-posts, aseries of supporting-standardsarranged parallel with the side of the car, suit able seat-backingsupported upon the said standard, a series of seats arranged parallelwith the side of the car, suitable hangers secured to the saidseat-backing connected at their lower ends to the rear portion of theseat,

. a series of detachable supporting-legs designed to extend beneath theabutting ends of the seats to the inside thereof as and for the purposespecified. I

7. In a convertible car the combination with the main frame providedwith a series of supporting-posts, a series of supporting-standardsarranged parallel with the side of the car, suitable seat-backingsupported upon the said standard, a series of seats arranged parallelwith the side of the car, suitable hangers secured to the saidseat-backing connected at their lower ends to the rear portion of theseat, a series of detachable supporting-legs designed to extend beneaththe abutting ends of the seats to the inside thereof and locking meansfor securing said leg to the floor of the car as and for the purposespecified.

8. In a convertible car the combination with the main frame providedwith a series of supporting-posts, a series of supporting-standardsarranged paralled with the side of the car,suitable seat-backingsupported upon the said standard, a series of seats arranged parallelwith the side of the car, suitable hangers secured to the saidseat-backing connected at their lower ends to the rear portion of theseat, a series of detachable supporting-legs designed to extend beneaththe abutting ends of the seats to the inside thereof a socket secured tothe floor of the car provided with a bayonetslot and a pin extendingoutwardly from the said leg into the said slot as and forthe purposespecified.

9. In a convertible car the combination with a main frame provided witha series of vertical supporting-posts having rabbets formed therein anda suitable sill for supporting the floor of the car to which the saidposts are secured, a running-board secured beneath the sill andextending laterally therefrombencath the ends of the post, and a seriesof wall-sections designed to fit into the rabbets formed in the postsand resting on the said runningboard and means for securing the saidsections in place, said running-board serving as a step approximately inline with the bottomof the sill as and for the purpose specified. 10. Ina convertible car the combination with the main frame provided with aseries of vertical supporting-posts having side rabbets formed thereinand a suitable sill for supporting the floor of the car to which thesaid posts are secured, a running-board secured beneath the sill andextending outwardly therefrom beneath the ends of the posts, a series ofwallsections designed to fit into the rabbets formed in the posts and torest on the running-board and a series of turn-buttons secured centrallyto the vertical posts of the car designed to extend over the edge of thewall-section as and for the purpose specified.

11. In a convertible car the combination with the main frame of the carprovided with a series of vertical supporting-posts having rabbetsformed therein and a suitable sill for supporting the floor of the car,a step or running-board secured beneath the sill and designed to extendbeneath the vertical posts a bounding strip or rail secured to the topof the frame of the car beneath the cave of the roof, a series ofwall-sections designed to be inserted beneath the said rail and into therabbets formed in the vertical supporting-posts and to be supported uponthe running-board or step, a suitable packing designed to be insertedwithin the edge of the inner face of the section, and a suitable packingsecured to the upper end of the section designed to abut against thelower face of the bounding-rail and a series of turn-buttons securedcentrally to the vertical posts of the car and designed to extend overthe sides of the wall-sections as and for the'purpose specified.

12. In a convertible car the combination with the main frame providedwith a series of vertical supporting-posts having a rabbet and aguiding-groove located in proximity to the inner edge thereof, asuitable sill for supporting the floor of the car, a running-boardsecured beneath the sill designed to extend beneath the saidsupporting-posts, a series of car-Wall sections designed to be insertedwithin the said groove, means for securing the said sections within thegroove and a seriesof hand-rails secured to the side of the posts of thecar between the inner face of the wall-section and the guiding-gi ooveas and for the purpose specified.

13. In a convertible car the combination with the side supporting thesill for the floor of the car, of a running-board secured beneath thesaid sill extending outwardly past the face of the side of the car, aseries of depending hangers secured beneath the same and a secondrunning-board secured to the said hangers, the running-boards forming apair of steps one above the other and disposed laterally in gesipect tothe'sill as and for thepurpose speci- 14. In a convertible car thecombination with the side sill for supporting the floor, of a series ofdepending hangers secured to the said sill, of a running-board supportedthereon having cut-out portions therein, a covering for the said cut-outportions held within suitable guides forming part of the step and aresilient resisting means whereby the said plate is held against theinner side of the step as and for the purpose specified.

15. In a convertible car the combination with the side sill forsupporting the floor, of a series of depending hangers secured to thesaid sill, of a running-board supported thereon having cut-out portionstherein, a covering for the said cut-out portions held within suitableguides forming part of the step and downwardly extending projectionsformed upon the said plate, a leaf-spring secured beneath therunning-board against which the said projections are designed to bear asand for the purpose specified.

MICHAEL POWER.

Witnesses:

M. MGLAREN,

H. STRIOKLAND.

